Title: Ugandan Officials and Lawyer Sanctioned by US for Adoption Scam and Human Rights Abuses
Departments of Treasury and State Impose Sanctions
Washington D.C. - In response to human rights violations and corruption, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Department of State have announced sanctions against four individuals from Uganda. These sanctions came as a result of their involvement in an adoption scam and alleged human rights abuses.
“The individuals involved in this scam have caused great suffering by deceiving innocent Ugandan families and exploiting their good faith for personal gain. The United States is committed to combating human rights abuses and corruption worldwide.” - Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Justin G. Muzinich
Adoption Scam
The designated individuals are:
- Moses Mukiibi (Mukiibi)
- Wilson Musalu Musene (Musene)
- Dorah Mirembe (Mirembe)
- Patrick Ecobu (Ecobu)
The group is accused of running a criminal adoption scheme where children were taken from their Ugandan families under the false premise of “special education” programs, only to be offered for adoption to U.S. families. The adoption agency involved manipulated and falsified court documents through Mirembe’s law firm.
In some instances, children were taken from their parents and presented to the courts as orphans, unaware to unsuspecting U.S. adoptive parents that deceptive practices were taking place.
Mirembe and Ecobu’s Role
Mirembe’s law firm hired intermediary parties to find vulnerable families in remote villages, leading them to believe their children would receive care under the supervision of missionaries in Kampala. Instead, the children were primarily taken to one unlicensed children’s home in Kampala, and put up for adoption.
Mirembe and her husband Ecobu were instrumental in bribing Ugandan judges, including Mukiibi and Musene, to expedite the adoption process, further perpetuating the deception.
Bribery and Corruption
Mukiibi and Musene, as current or former government officials or individuals acting on their behalf, have been accused of involvement in corruption, including misappropriation of state assets, expropriation of private assets, and bribery.
Mirembe and Ecobu have provided material support and sponsorship for these corrupt acts, directly or indirectly.
Consequences of Sanctions
The sanctions imposed by OFAC now block any property or interests in property owned or controlled by the designated individuals, and any entities they own 50% or more of. U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving these designated individuals or their assets.
This move comes under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, aimed at combating human rights abuses and corruption with international implications, protecting the U.S. financial system from these harmful activities.
Visa Restrictions
Musene and Mukiibi have also been subject to visa restrictions under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2020 (Div. G, P.L. 116-94).
For more information on the individuals sanctioned, visit the OFAC website.